Tanzania is undergoing a fundamental shift in how it manages state assets, with the Office of the Treasury Registrar (OTR) spearheading a strategy that blends public oversight with private sector agility.

The Tanzanian government is moving aggressively to reshape its state-owned enterprise (SOE) landscape, prioritizing efficiency and capital infusion over traditional state dominance. As preparations begin for the highly anticipated Minority Interest Forum (MIF) 2026 in Arusha, the OTR has provided a transparent look at the rationale driving this significant economic pivot.

Ms. Lightness Mauki, the Director of Performance Management at the OTR, has articulated a clear vision: the state is no longer interested in being the sole operator of business. Instead, it is positioning itself as a strategic partner. This policy shift is aimed at unlocking the latent value within government-linked entities by leveraging the private sector’s technological expertise and financial liquidity.

The Arusha Forum: A New Governance Architecture

Scheduled for March 16–18 at the PAPU Tower in Arusha, the Minority Interest Forum 2026 is set to bring together over 150 board directors and CEOs from 56 companies where the state holds a minority stake. This is not merely a networking event; it is a vital checkpoint for Tanzania’s broader economic strategy under the Dira 2050 vision.

The government once controlled over 400 enterprises, a sprawling portfolio that often struggled with inefficiency and bureaucratic bloat. The current strategy of divestment—selling equity to private players while retaining minority stakes—has proven to be a masterstroke in fiscal management.

The Efficiency Dividend

The numbers speak volumes about the success of this transition. Over the past five years, dividends from companies with government minority stakes have experienced an exponential surge, climbing 357 percent. To contextualize this growth for regional stakeholders:

• 2019/20 Fiscal Year: Dividends stood at 58.26bn TZS (approx. KES 2.91bn).
• 2024/25 Fiscal Year: Dividends skyrocketed to 266.52bn TZS (approx. KES 13.33bn).

This 13.33bn KES injection into the national coffers represents a successful experiment in “active partnership.” By offloading management responsibilities to private actors while keeping the state’s stake, the government has ensured that these companies operate with the profit-driven discipline of the private sector, while still ensuring national interests are protected.

Bridging the Future: Dira 2050

The OTR is now looking beyond current reforms toward the next 25 years. With the new long-term plan set to commence on July 1, 2026, the strategy is to expand the range of companies listed on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange. This is intended to democratize wealth, allowing younger Tanzanians to own shares and receive dividends—a significant departure from the old model of state-exclusivity.

“We offloaded shares to allow private investors to take larger stakes, enabling collaboration in expertise, capital, and technology,” Mauki explained. This is a model that other East African Community (EAC) members, currently grappling with debt-ridden state corporations, would be wise to observe.

The OTR’s approach is a pragmatic recognition that in the modern economy, the government’s role is to act as a regulator and a shareholder, not a micromanager. By fostering an environment where public enterprises can attract private investment, Tanzania is creating a more resilient economic framework—one that is less reliant on direct government intervention and more focused on sustainable, dividend-paying growth.

As the MIF 2026 approaches, the spotlight will be on these 56 enterprises to see if they can continue this trajectory of growth and efficiency in the years to come.